Recipes from today's show! Smothered Chicken Stew, Sprite Biscuits and Old-Timey Chocolate Pies...southern comfort food at it's best :)

SMOTHERED CHICKEN STEW

SPRITE BISCUITS

OLD-TIMEY CHOCOLATE PIES

 

 

SMOTHERED CHICKEN STEW

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

6 skinless chicken legs

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 to 2 cups all-purpose flour seasoned generously with salt and pepper

1 onion, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, whole or sliced

16-ounces chicken broth

1 cup water

1 tablespoon chicken granules

1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning

Hot, cooked rice

In a large Dutch oven with a lid, melt the oil and butter together over medium high heat.  Dust the chicken pieces lightly with flour and shake off the excess flour.  I just put the flour in a large, deep bowl to this.  Brown the chicken on each side for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat.  I do this in 2 batches, and be careful not to get the heat too high.  After browning chicken, place on a large plate and set aside.  Now,  add the onion and mushroom to the drippings in the pot (you may want to add a dash of water to it).  After sautéing the onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes, add the chicken broth and 1 cup of water.  Add the seasonings and stir well.  (You may want to taste and add more seasonings to your liking).  Now add back all the chicken, making sure all chicken is mostly covered with the broth and water mixture.  Cook covered on very low heat for 2 to 3 hours.  1 hour is fine, but the longer it simmers the more tender the chicken will be.  I like to add about 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to ½ cup of water and stir it in at the very end to thicken it even more.  Serve over hot rice with green peas and rolls or cornbread.  It is so good! J

 

SPRITE BISCUITS

3 cups Bisquick

½ cup sour cream

½ cup Sprite or 7UP (not diet)

3 tablespoons sugar

8 tablespoons butter, melted and divided

Mix first 4 ingredients together with a fork.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll out just a little with a rolling pin.  (You want your biscuits to be thick).   Cut dough into squares with a knife.  Place 3 tablespoons melted butter in a 11x8 glass baking dish.  Place cut biscuits on top of the melted butter.  Sprinkle with sugar and brush a little butter over each biscuit.  Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and brush each biscuit with a little more melted butter.  These are great with honey butter J

 

OLD-TIMEY FUDGE PIES

4 squares  semi-sweet chocolate

2 sticks real butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, beaten

2- 9-inch unbaked pie shell (You can find these in the freezer section)

Preheat oven to 375.  Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar.  Beat the eggs in a small bowl then add a spoonful of the chocolate to the eggs, stirring rapidly.  Now add eggs with the small of amount of chocolate mixture to the rest of the chocolate mixture.  (This will keep you from having scrambled eggs in your pie!)  Pour filling into pie shells and bake for 25 minutes or until set.  Don’t  bake any longer than 30 minutes.  Wait until they have cooled completely before slicing.  Serve with ice cream or whipped topping.

 

 

 

My recipes from yesterday's cooking show :) Enjoy!

CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP

FANTASTIC EGG SALAD

HOMEMADE PIMENTO CHEESE

SEASHELL RANCH PASTA SALAD

CARROT CAKE TEA CAKES

 

HOMEMADE CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP

3 tablespoons butter

½ cup finely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup evaporated milk

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, melt butter and sauté onions over medium high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes or until softened.  Add the garlic and sauté’ for 1 minute more.  Turn the heat down to very low and add remaining ingredients.  Cover and let simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with fresh or dried basil if desired and top with sour cream.  Great with grilled cheese sandwiches J

FANTASTIC EGG SALAD

6 eggs, boiled, peeled and chopped

1 T sour cream

3 T mayo

1 t. sugar

1 t. vinegar

1 t. yellow mustard

1 t. Tony Chachere’s seasoning

½ t. paprika

¼ cup green onions, chopped (optional)

½ cup sweet pickles, chopped

Dash of hot sauce

Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Place eggs in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  As soon as the water comes to a boil, place a tight-fitting lid on the pot and turn off the burner.  After 12 minutes run cold water over eggs, peel and chop.  Mix remaining ingredients with the eggs and refrigerate for at least an hour.

 

HOMEMADE PIMENTO CHEESE SPREAD

2 cups mild cheddar cheese, grated

2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (I use Cracker Barrel brand)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 tablespoon sugar

1 (4-ounce) jar of pimentos with the juice

Dash of hot sauce

½ cup mayo

Mix it all together with a fork and refrigerate. The longer it sits the better!

 

 

SEASHELL RANCH PASTA SALAD

1 envelope Buttermilk Ranch Salad dressing mix

1 cup mayo

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, & Tony Chachere’s seasoning (Please taste & add more to your liking)

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1 small jar of chopped pimento, drained

1 (16-ounce) box sea shell macaroni, cooked and drained

Mix ranch dressing packet, mayo, buttermilk and seasonings well.  Add the next 3 ingredients and mix well.  Refrigerate overnight and stir well before serving.  I always add more seasoning J  Just taste it as you go!

 

CARROT CAKE TEA CAKE SANDWICHES

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 to 4 tablespoons powdered sugar

5 carrots, washed, peeled and grated

½ cup chopped pecans

1 loaf cinnamon raisin bread

Mix the first 4 ingredients together and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Stir well and spread on raisin bread.  Top with another piece of raisin bread and cut into 4’s.  Place on a platter and cover tightly and refrigerate.

Now, here is a pretty healthy, low-calorie meal...my Taco-Pasta Salad. Use lean beef or ground turkey. My dressing is made with Greek yogurt and just a tablespoon of sour cream. This saves a ton of calories :) Enjoy!

TACO-PASTA SALAD

1 lb. ground sirloin

1 package taco seasoning mix

2/3 cup water

1 (12-ounce) box tri-colored rotini pasta, cooked and drained

Shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, jalapenos, avocado slices

Sharp cheddar, shredded

 

For the dressing:

1 (5-ounce) container plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon sour cream

2/3 cup salsa

Mix yogurt, sour cream and salsa together.  It’s best if it sits in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.

Brown beef and drain well.  Stir in taco seasoning and water and simmer on low for about 10 minutes.  To serve:  place shredded lettuce in the bottom of a bowl, next add about ¾ cup pasta, then add the beef.  Top with as many toppings as you’d like!  Finish with cheese and the dressing.

Shrimp & Grits, baby! I think you'll like my recipe for this dish because it's simple, hearty and delicious :) Enjoy!

SHRIMP & GRITS:

For the grits:

1-1/3 cup grits ( I use Jim Dandy)

3 cups whipping cream or whole milk

2 -1/2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

½ stick butter

Bring cream or milk, broth, salt and butter to a low boil.  Slowly stir in the grits and turn on low.  Simmer for just a few minutes, stirring often.  Turn off and set aside.  Reheat when the shrimp mixture is ready.  You may add a little additional liquid if the grits become too thick.

For the sauce:

1 stick butter

2 medium onions, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh parsley

2 T. all-purpose flour

2 cans Cream of Shrimp soup

1 small can tomato sauce

1 soup can full of water

½ cup milk

1 T. each of:  onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper & Zattarran’s seasoning

1 ½ lb. uncooked, peeled shrimp

 

In a soup pot, sauté’ first 6 ingredients in butter for about 10 minutes or until veggies are very soft.  Stir in 2 T flour.  Stir in the next 5 ingredients and let simmer on low for 45 minutes.  Add shrimp, stir and cover for 15 more minutes.  Serve over grits.  Delicious!

BBQ Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers....it just doesn't get any better than this :)

BBQ- Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

8 Jalapenos, halved and seeded

3 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

¼ cup green onion, chopped

16 pieces pre-cooked bacon

BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s)

Toothpicks

Slice Jalapenos lengthwise (wear gloves!)  Scrape seeds out with a small spoon, wash and pat dry.  In a bowl, combine cheeses, sour cream, onion, salt and pepper and green onions.  Next,  stuff each pepper with a teaspoon  amount of cheese mixture.  Wrap each pepper stuffed with cheese mixture with a piece of bacon.  Brush each pepper with BBQ sauce and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until bacon is crisp and cheese is bubbly.